Princess Zaina has turned Kotae Mah upside down with a civil war. Prince Alpertti, rightful heir to the throne, had to be rescued by Mikansia. During the rescue Mikansia developed a new appreciation for the elven society ta had never really gotten the chance to experience, and helped Prince Alpertti come to accept mul role as the monarch of Kotae Mah.
Lore Note: Vaeltaja (elves) do not see themselves in terms of male and female, given how little reproduction happens in a vaeltajan lifespan. We decided that elves would instead classify themselves in terms of how much Grief a vaeltaja carried on their soul. To them the differences between even a Grief of B1 and B2 would be noticeable, although for simplicity's sake they'd stick to what we think would make four categories:
Grief B0-B3: mu (singular and multiple)/mul (possesive)
Grief B4-B7 dai/dail
Grief B8-9 ta/tal
B10, but not yet sailed into the Void tor/torl
Oh, and those who died? The good ones are referred to as the triumphant, both in noun and pronoun. The bad ones are the houseless, noun and pronoun.
Prince Alpertti commanded patrols to be sent out, to see the damage done to Kotae Mah. Mikansia was assigned to a team and they moved out. Battles were still being fought in the streets, so they had to pick their way carefully.
A three masted ship came to a hover overhead. Bottles dropped from a chute in the bottom, and the team dove for cover.
The jars broke open, covering the area in a sticky green liquid. Red fire leapt from the green, covering the whole block in an explosion, following by a roaring fire that defied all reason, as the fire was undeterred by stone, water, or earth. The whole city block collapsed in fire and flying stone. Out of one of the houses walked a flaming figure, who collapsed before Mikansia as ta picked talself up. Mikansia took tal cloak, the standard of the Sword Singer, off and began beating the prone figure before ta with it. The top half being more or less quenched, Mikansia flipped the unfortunate over.
Mikansia started as Makirta's dazed eyes stared up at ta. How Makirta was still alive was beyond Mikansia. But that didn't matter, there tor was. Mikansia picked up tal mother and ran to the remnants of an alleyway. Makirta was not easy to carry; tor was twitching and flopping like a fish in the bottom of a boat. Setting tor down was even harder, but Mikansia managed. Makirta's eyes were pleading, but torl mouth couldn't be controlled. Torl right hand was flapping harder than torl left, trying to reach into the pocket of whatever was left of torl pants. Makirta's eyes increased in intensity, somehow, as that hand flapped against torl unfeeling leg. Mikansia reached into tal mother's pocket and pulled out a metallic egg, complete with a hinge. Makirta's lips opened and closed in rapid succession, only barely permitting the word "Open" to pass. And then Makirta's eyes relaxed. And looked elsewhere. The body was at rest.
Mikansia sat at tal mother's side for what seemed to be a long moment, trying to take it all in. But, try as ta could, ta couldn't make it work in tal head. Makirta had routinely failed as a mother, why did ta feel this way? Why this hollow space, this grief, over someone who ta had no small amount of disdain for, someone who ta had never quite been able to forgive for the sting of abandonment ta had borne all tal life? But the rest of the patrol showed up before Mikansia could answer that question. "What are you doing here? Princess Zaina is sending more flying ships in a few moments, we need to get moving!" Mikansia looked over at tal mother's corpse. There had to be a way to honor the body; ta couldn't carry it, not now, not with more Elfhell about to be dropped in this sector of the city.
For all of a Mikansia's life ta had held onto a ring ta had been told was Makirta's. Through this whole ordeal Mikansia had carried this ring, never mentioning it to anyone. Ta had no idea why ta still ahd it, but it had been there this whole time. It was the only thing Mikansia could do, to give the ring to what remained of Makirta.
Mikansia didn't open the metal egg until ta got back from patrol and reported to the Prince. Ta then found an empty alleyway outside their base of operations and opened it. There was earth inside the egg. And now Akseli was standing next to ta. They smiled warmly at each other. "We've much to discuss," said Akseli. "You'd better sit down." Mikansia sat without complaint, happy and safe, if not a little surprised. Akseli sat next to ta, a bit transparent. "Makirta was here, looking for Jabez's children, on your behalf."
Mikansia was more than a little surprised. "Why?? Last I'd seen Makirta, the triumphant had adopted two human children. What happened?"
"A human couple came along and Makirta let the children go, to them. Kind hearted and good, the both of them. We knew you were handling Golau and that no one else could have done what you did. So I asked Makirta to come and stop Zaina from becoming Yetekaida."
"Excuse me??" Mikansia knew Zaina was bad but.
"Oh, The Lone Keep always had the knowledge to make make a Yetekaida," said Akseli. Mikansia stared at the triumphant, stunned. "They've always had a way to do it, but the Lone Keep, for all the horrors it inflicted upon the world and itself, wanted to build a world, albeit a new one wrought in anguish. One they can live in, with the Nameless as their gods."
"Right, someone who had never been joined to another, inviting the darkness to replace them in their mortal shell. Horrifying, but stable. But children have no spiritual authority; they must have their parents make decisions for them. And so it is possible to invite the Nameless to hollow out a child, joining your will to theirs, and then binding them to you. You then become Yetekaida, as do they. They want it because you do. The child suffers immensely, and eventually rejects the Nameless, which then tears the adult apart. All depends on the adult's ability to hold the child in that awful embrace for as long they can."
"... Jabez's children," whispered Mikansia. "That.. that monster, that bitch! That... that..."
"Which is why I asked Makirta for help," said Akseli. "And the triumphant succeeded! Makirta got them away from Zaina and the remnants of The Lone Keep."
"Wait, were they in that building that just got bombed??" Mikansia demanded.
"No, the triumphant put them elsewhere, in The Grotto," Akseli clarified. "It was the only place safe enough, given Makirta's inability to get them off Kotae Mah immediately.
"I've never been in The Grotto," Mikansia admitted. "I hear it's a strange place."
"And a good one, at that," Akseli said. "No doubt Zaina is looking, right now. We must provide a distraction." Akseli stood up. "I must ask your permission for something. As things stand I'm not... connected... enough to do something, not directly. Makirta came up with a way to make sure I could come with the triumphant, and on the plane itself I have a lot more sway. But not up here, not beyond the cloud," Akseli said, indicating the clouds that now perpetually shrouded Heranyt. You need someone with a bit more immediate influence, like the Damned. Ah, they're still attached to this world, clawing into it even as they left. KRAKERU! Come here!"
Krakeru's eyes were hollow, looking inward. Mikansia, who had stopped being afraid of Krakeru, was still uncomfortable ath the sight of the departed wretch. But Krakeru was almost unrecognizable. None of the swagger and machismo the damned had in life was here now. Akseli walked up to Krakeru. "They killed Makirta. That pisses you off, right?" The fires that had been in Krakeru's eyes returned, for a quick second.
"What are you suggesting?" asked Mikansia, growing more and more wary.
"We use Krakeru to create a distraction. Krakeru gets to rampage around a few minutes and you get to distract Zaina," said Akseli. "It's not like Krakeru here doesn't get something out of it or anything! Live as an animal in one life, be commanded as one in the next."
Mikansia wanted to argue and opened tal mouth to do so. But Jabez spoke up, in tal heart. Go. Get. The kids. Whatever it takes. Mikansia nodded, unsure if all this was really happening.
A moment later and Akseli and Krakeru were gone. An enormous cloud of lightning appeared, making a beeline for the palace of Kotae Mah. The elven soldiers let out a cheer: "Heaven has helped us! God is on our side! CHAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!!"
"Are you going to The Grotto?" Prince Alpertti asked. Dai seemed to come out of nowhere. Mikansia started but nodded after a moment. "May I walk with you? I ... I need guidance from those who dwell there." They fell in together. "So, you're Mikansia, the deserter from the Sword Singers," Prince Alpertti said with a playful but grave smile.
"How did you know that?" asked Mikansia, surprised.
"Oh, your story was very popular, before 'Princess' Zaina showed up and turned Kotae Mah into what you see now. Whole plays and operas were made about the star-crossed lovers, the great beauty Mikansia and the gallant Jabez, who died in each other's arms on the surface after fleeing the injustices of Kotae Mah!"
Mikansia stared, dumbstruck.
Prince Alpertti laughed, with an unexpectedly bitter tinge to dail voice. "The truth is far better," dai said as kindly a voice as dai could muster. Prince Alpertti gave Mikansia a letter. Mikansia looked it over as they walked down the quietly ruined street. The contents of the letter were awful: Toivol had told Prince Alpertti that dail father, the High King, was a dark elf, along with all the members of the court. "I managed to send a general who wasn't on that list, by sheer dumb luck," Prince Alpertti said bitterly. "I got the letter right after that."
"What do you want to do?" Mikansia asked.
"I'm not fit to be king. All this time I'd wondered, somewhere in the back of my mind, about everyone around me, but I did nothing. I'm done. My blood is steeped in the evil of The Lone Keep!" seethed Prince Alpertti.
"Why, because your father was evil? If anything that makes you more qualified, best qualified, because you're good, you know what you're protecting our people from."
"But you don't know.. what I've felt. What I think at night. What I see in the world. You don't see the things I inherited from my family. What happens if I give into those thoughts one day, just like my father, and the houseless's father before?"
"What do you see when you look at me?"
"A kind, selfless hero, someone who's given tal life for us, over and over."
"You're right. You don't see that I am from a long line of elves bred to be Yetekaida, to house the Nameless within them. You don't see the fights and heartbreak I had to endure to not become like my father. What you see is my choices. And when our people see you they see Kotae Mah's future. They see your strength, your wisdom," replied Mikansia. "What people see are your choices, Prince. Don't forget that." Prince Alpertti, nodded, thoughtful.
The Grotto, walled with love by the elves, stood before them. Its gates opened silently; they walked through. Inside The Grotto the sun shone as if they were on the planet still, the trees were as they were before the Ring of Tears had formed. "I've never been here before," whispered Mikansia.
"Neither have I," Prince Alpertti whispered back. "I was always told to never come here, except in direst need. I think this counts."
A strange humanoid with yellow parchment skin came from behind a tree, three little elves in tow. The children ran up to Mikansia, but stopped suddenly. The female of the three stepped forward. "You look like the nice tor. Where is tor?"
"Makirta, the triumphant, tried to come back, and gave everything to do so," said Mikansia, softly. Ta couldn't explain it, but something inside of ta had calmed at that statement, was at peace. "I'm Mikansia," ta said. The two boys were Macario and Eamon, the little girl Chloe. They were just as beautiful as Alexis; Mikansia's heart melted within ta.
The yellow-skinned figure came forward. "Welcome to The Grotto. This is a mysterious place."
Mikansia nodded. "I can see that."
"You are here to take the children to a new home, yes?" asked the monk. Mikansia nodded in assent. "Then come with me. I am assuming we are going to Vigilance." Mikansia wasn't even surprised. They left Prince Alpertti behind, waiting by the gates. "Dai has an appointement," said the monk. "Dai was called here."
They went around a tree and came out of an alleyway in Vigilance, facing Decima's house. Mikansia couldn't help talself; ta took a moment to look at the Chloe, Macario, and Eamon. They were so beautiful. There was a peace, a serenity that flowed out of Mikansia's soul. Mikansia wished this moment, looking at their beautiful eyes, seeing their still awkward little movements, could last forever. And ever. And ever.
And then the door flew open. "NEW FRIENDS!!" shouted Simone, who came running. Mikansia laughed, even as tal heart broke. Time wouldn't stay still, not now.
Decima peaked her head out: "You coming in? she called, as the four children ran back inside, laughing already.
The heartbreak was almost too much; Mikansia almost succeeded in making talself forget about Kotae Mah and the trouble it was in. Ta almost made talself forget about Prince Alpertti, about Toivol's sacrifice. Almost. But not quite. Mikansia shook tal head. "I... I have something I need to do, first," ta said with infinite longing, looking at tal family home. It occurred to Mikansia for the first time that this little house was just that: home.
"And you will need my help to get it done," said Tyce, who had appeared behind Mikansia. The monk was gone.
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